I grew up on the border of NYC, so a farmer I'm not, I now have a house in the suburbs, and started my Garden, I grew "Tomato's" pretty well, "Dill" grew well, "Basil" did o.k. BUT, My Pumpkins, they took off doing well REALLY well, WOW can those vines grow, I noticed a white film on the plant, it started at the stump, two weeks ago I was watering a forest of pumpkin plants, yesterday I cut out the last of the dead plants...WHAT HAPPENED ? Everyone around here says that this is natural for pumpkins (I'm not buying that), I spoke with an old I-talian man who had a wonderful garden, I noticed that he had no pumpkin plants, I asked "why" ? He said that they tend to get a white worm in them that follows the vine and kill's the plant, is this what happened to me, is there a way to deal with them next year ? I was able to get ONE pumpkin of normal "Halloween" size. My lettuce was well then it all shot up to about 3 feet high ??? is this the plant's end of life cycle ?
2007-09-04 01:18:45 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Your pumpkins probably got some type of mildew from all the rain. I am having the same problem with some of my vine plants. Cucumbers - dead, squash plants - dead, Neidermeyer - dead, anyway, you get the picture.
The lettuce (radishes, greens, etc...) got too much heat. A lot of the leafy veggies are cool weather plants. When they get too much heat they turn into all tops and go to seed. You need to figure out the best time to plant all this stuff. Next spring keep an eye on the older people and ask them when they plant certain veggies. The seed packs can give you a pretty good estimate but there is nothing like experience.
2007-09-04 01:36:19 · answer #1 · answered by bmcbrewer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pumpkins will get powdery mildews if watered overhead. You should water them close the vine stems underneath the leaves; preferably in the morning. They sometimes wilt during the heat of the day, but will pick up again in the cooler evening.
Lettuce "bolts" if it gets too hot. It is a cool weather crop. This means it hurriedly goes about getting ready to produce seed; and less on its salad heads.
2007-09-04 02:22:11 · answer #2 · answered by hopflower 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I live in south Louisiana, never had any pumpkin problem. The lettuce is starting to make it's seed head. It will make very small flowers and then will make seeds. The head will get to bitter to eat so most people remove it from the garden when it does this. You can keep it to see how it makes seeds. Fun to watch the first time. Usually u cannot grow any more lettuce form the seeds so don't waste your time keeping them. Good luck and keep the green thumb going.
2007-09-04 01:38:36 · answer #3 · answered by highlandkajun 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your pumpkins aren't for baking pie, only Jack-o-lanterns, you should have no trouble with bores next year. Ask for the right insecticide next year. Your lettuce felt the summer heat and "bolted" or went to seed, quite normal. RScott
2007-09-04 01:25:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For your pumpkins, don't worry about, that is normal for any squash type plant, even the Danish Squash which is from the same family is going to do that.
2007-09-04 01:34:48 · answer #5 · answered by trey98607 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be borers in your pumpkins, possibly powdery mildew. Lettuce "bolted" - went to seed.
2007-09-04 01:29:05 · answer #6 · answered by reynwater 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋